MADRID (AP) — Villarreal parted ways with its second coach of the season by announcing the departure of José “Pacheta” Rojo on Friday.
Villarreal only managed five wins in 12 games across all competitions since Pacheta took over. He replaced Quique Setién in September after the club lost three of its first four games to start the season.
Villarreal is 13th in the 20-team Spanish league after winning three games. It finished fifth last season under Setién and reached the Champions League semifinals in 2022 under Unai Emery.
It has underperformed this season despite having a talented attacking squad featuring striker Gerard Moreno, forward Yéremy Pino and midfielder Álex Baena — all occasional Spain players — along with Argentina right back Juan Foyth.
The club said that sports director Miguel Ángel Tena would serve as caretaker coach for Sunday’s game at Atletico Madrid.
Pacheta’s exit came a day after his team struggled to beat Maccabi Haifa 2-1 in the Europa League.
After the game, Pacheta acknowledged his team was not clicking.
“We are suffering a lot. We are not enjoying playing,” he said. “We feel under pressure to get a win and we are playing tight. We are not finishing our chances and end up feeling the stress.”
The club did not reveal the terms of Pacheta’s exit but thanked him for his “work, dedication, professionalism and commitment.”
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